For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11-13
The rightness of time is very important in the fulfillment of God’s promises. God fulfills his Word and promises when the time is right to accomplish his purpose of bringing more people into a right relationship with himself. His response also comes in partnership with his people’s earnest prayers. Jeremiah prophesied that the 70-year captivity would provide the right amount of time for God to fulfill a specific purpose among his people. Once that time was up, God would inspire a holy remnant, a small portion of people who were faithful to him and who reserved themselves for God’s purposes, to strongly pray for national spiritual renewal. God would listen and respond to these devoted people, working through them to fulfill his promises of restoration. These circumstances reveal two spiritual principles: (1) when God desires to do great things for his people, he inspires and impresses them to begin a time of deep and continued prayer; and (2) the timing of God’s answers to these prayers if often linked to God’s purposes for his people as a whole.
Today’s Bible Readings:
Exodus 26-27, Matthew 25:1-30, Psalm 31:1-8 and Proverbs 8:1-11